Apple to Release iOS 4.3 Today? Personal Hotspot Device Limits Up to Carriers?

[cohibadad]

Been running 4.3 for a few days, and personal hotspot work great on the Rogers network in Canada. A little bit of latency, but at least 3 Mbps down and almost 1 Mbps up.. Excellent feature. Takes away the requirement for a 3G iPad...

The biggest reason to get a 3G iPad 2 if you already have an iPhone 4 is for the GPS IMO. I use my iPad 3G GPS so I would miss it in the iPad 2. Also, buying a 3G iPad allows month by month payment for data so if you only need cellular data on your iPad occasionally it may be cheaper to go that route than paying for personal hotspot every month..

 

[stewart1988]

Could be true.

Just read over at ModMyi "My wifes replacement came Saturday with 4.3 on it."

So if they are sending back replacements with 4.3 already, I see no reason they can't release now...

 

[ctdonath]

 

[manu chao]

so what about people like me that buy their iphone sim free from apple? No subsidy there!

Then you just choose a data tarif that does not include subsidies for new handsets and pay cheaper monthly rates. Not available in your country? Tough luck, hope for technology or regulation to create more competition and more transparent pricing.
(For example, I bought a wireless 3G USB modem a few years ago. It was subsidised but the re-payment of the subsidy was listed as a separate item on my monthly bill and I had to pay it for two years only, after that my monthly payments reduced. Regulation could require this open and transparent accounting of the carrier subsidy.)

 

[ten-oak-druid]

The carriers don't have Apple by the balls as much as they used to, but they still do. There's probably contract language preventing what you say, and if Apple violates the contract, carriers can do fun things like pull handset subsidies.

As nice as the iPhone is, I can't think of many people who will pay $600 for one. (The people who bought the unsubsidized iPhone 2G in the beginning were pretty much all well-off early adopters)

I'm sure most people wouldn't be able to afford it but many who could would opt for an unsubsidized iphone with a chip that can work with any carrier. The ability to choose a carrier without contract and switch at anytime is appealing.

 

[Beezy]

AT&T's data on 3G has always been good and now that we have a Verizon iPhone we are seeing more reports supporting this. In my own personal experience AT&T data rivals some people's home internet speeds here in the US (a sad state for sure). Still, I think the issue isn't their speed, but rather in some spots IF you can get a signal.

When I had DSL from Verizon, ATTs 3G was quicker and the speedtest app showed it everytime. Thats why I am back on cable lol.

 

[sportster]

Undocumented change: Faster load time for camera? (I hope)

I too am hoping for this... it's been one of my only complaints for the iPhone 4.

 

[istgradfrompsu]

Can you wake up the computer on which the iTunes library resides remotely or does it have to be awake?

Your computer has to be on and iTunes has to be open. You have to go into the home sharing section in iTunes and provide your apple ID password to turn it on. Then on your devices when you open up the iPod app you will see the sharing tab show up with all of your music will be inside

 

[Beezy]

Even though I have a Verizon iPhone with Personal Hotspot available to me already I don't and won't use it for exactly the reason you pointed out, it's theft. Why pay twice for something? It's like putting gas in your car in the city and having to pay for it again to go on the Interstate, makes no sense.

Good analogy. I agree. Anyway you can do this jailbreak already and I have done it once just to try it. I really dont need the feature. Especially when its extra.

 

[Eric374]

Good analogy. I agree. Anyway you can do this jailbreak already and I have done it once just to try it. I really dont need the feature. Especially when its extra.

Same here, tried MyWi out and it works great. I refuse to pay for a service twice.

 

[ineedamac]

Its ridiculous that tethering has an extra fee. I pay for 2Gb per month because 200mB is too small but I don't need anywhere near 2Gb. Now if I want to make use of that data plan by tethering I have to fork out more money? No thanks.

I agree. It should just be part of the data you are using now.

 

[adebookpro]

Your computer has to be on and iTunes has to be open. You have to go into the home sharing section in iTunes and provide your apple ID password to turn it on. Then on your devices when you open up the iPod app you will see the sharing tab show up with all of your music will be inside

You can get a 3rd party app to wake your mac using WOL (e.g. NetAwake). If the new airplay requires iTunes to actually be open(?!) then there are also 3rd party apps (e.g. AirVideo) that don't, so you could just use that, or just make sure you don't close iTunes before you sleep the computer...

 

[Jcoz]

I'm sure most people wouldn't be able to afford it but many who could would opt for an unsubsidized iphone with a chip that can work with any carrier. The ability to choose a carrier without contract and switch at anytime is appealing.

I dont see at all how this is appealing in the US.

The subsidy charges are all built into the data plans anyways.

Passing on your upgrades when available, or subsidies up front with a new plan, is simply a bad deal. I absolutely guarantee that in US, you are losing and losing big on that proposition unless we are talking about a prepaid plan.

IMO, few really need the ability to switch at a moments notice, You're better off taking the upgrades as often as you can, even if your intent was to sell the new device.

 

[adebookpro]

I agree. It should just be part of the data you are using now.

I'm almost surprised it isn't criminal charging you twice for the same data. I could see them getting away with it when data was "unlimited" since you could in theory use significantly more data on a non-phone platform than you were before, but with a limited plan you can only use the data once!

Currently I don't have an iPad and only ever tether my MBP, which I can still do for free using HandyLight. I'm not sure this will work on an iPad - depends if you can access the required level of network configuration as you can in OSX (i.e SOCKS proxy)?

 

[mattburles]

half an hour till we find out if this is true or not.. otherwise it will be out on the 11th.

 

[Nausicaa]

I'm excited to get streaming from my computer to any iOS device. Should be pretty cool to watch any movie I want while taking a crunch.

This is the feature I'm most excited for. I've seriously been waiting for Apple to implement this feature for years. Such a no-brainer. Finally, it is here! Streaming music and video from my computer to my iPad or Phone. Awesome!

 

[marksman]

Tethering sure complicates the purchase decision. Now I wonder if I want the 3G model or if I will just pay for tethering and get the option of using my iPad or my PC from work tethered. The only thing that would make me still go with 3G is if tethering via BT is really flaky or if there really is an actual GPS chip in the 3G model...nothing stated in any apple literature I can find...anyone on these two points?

Also, are there any GPS apps that can pull the GPS location from my iPhone into the iPad and display it on maps?

There is a gps chip in the 3G model. That would be the only reason to get the 3g ipad for me. Otherwise tethering is 2 gigs for $20 compared to 2 gigs for $25 for the iPad plan... So it makes no sense for me to get the 3G iPad unless I want to pay $130 for a gps chip in it.

Its ridiculous that tethering has an extra fee. I pay for 2Gb per month because 200mB is too small but I don't need anywhere near 2Gb. Now if I want to make use of that data plan by tethering I have to fork out more money? No thanks.

The price you pay for data now is based on you using less than 2 gigs of data. They know when you get tethering you will use MORE data. The prices are set based on average usage. That is what you are paying for.. They know that usage will go up with tethering, thus why you have to pay more. If they charged you for full access to your 2 gigs you would have to pay $80-$90 a month. Since most people use much less, than can charge only $25 a month.

[qupte]
Apple should just open it up and take it out of the hands of the carriers. The carriers will complain and then after a year realize their customers are happy and more customers are signing up and all will be well.[/QUOTE]

Yeah that would work well for Apple.

 

[hans1972]

Wake on Demand

Can you wake up the computer on which the iTunes library resides remotely or does it have to be awake?

Yes, you can wake it up remotely.

If you have Airport Extreme Base Station or Time Capsule you can even wake up the Mac over Wifi.

Take a look at Wake on Demand.

 

[Zimmy68]

40 minutes of Personal Hotspot for me took my battery down to 80% when I first tried it out yesterday.

Hold up a sec, how did you get Personal Hotspot?

I just called AT&T to get it and they acted like they never heard of it.
When I try to change it online, they only offer a tethering option.

No mention of Personal Hotspot anywhere..

 

[anonymouz1828]

4.3 ios!!!!

yes!!! lets do this quickly!!

 

[pdjudd]

Hold up a sec, how did you get Personal Hotspot?

I just called AT&T to get it and they acted like they never heard of it.
When I try to change it online, they only offer a tethering option.

No mention of Personal Hotspot anywhere..

He could be doing it on Verizon....

 

[troop231]

Hold up a sec, how did you get Personal Hotspot?

I just called AT&T to get it and they acted like they never heard of it.
When I try to change it online, they only offer a tethering option.

No mention of Personal Hotspot anywhere..

Because I have the 4.3 GM, and yes you can go to wireless.att.com on your account and activate, it works great!

He could be doing it on Verizon....

Nope, ATT:

 

[Zimmy68]

Nope, ATT:

There is my confusion.

I am guessing selecting "tethered" gets me the personal hot spot.

And it works the other way, I would be able to tether also (to save battery life) if I wanted to.
----
Edit - Nevermind, I added the Tethering plan and PH works great.

 

[arctic]

So where's the update?

 

[troop231]

There is my confusion.

I am guessing selecting "tethered" gets me the personal hot spot.

And it works the other way, I would be able to tether also (to save battery life) if I wanted to.

Yes, tethered gets you the 4GB and Personal Hotspot functionality.